As City Power continues its cut-off operation across Johannesburg to stem the massive cost of Illegal electricity connections, the power utility has now turned to businesses which owe millions in unpaid bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to City Power, illegal electricity bridging connections have increased drastically over the last couple of years, and businesses – especially in Gauteng’s business sector – are guilty of taking part in this trend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past few weeks, the Joburg power utility has wasted no time in cutting off those who owe it money for electricity – targeting big businesses, residential complexes, and individual houses. City Power’s focus this week is on Lenasia, South of Johannesburg, where businesses – owing over R20 million – are being cut off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena told eNCA<\/strong><\/a> that there has been a notable increase in the number of big business customers that are bridging electricity meters illegally, so it’s no longer just the poorer communities being found guilty of this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mangena noted that one of the businesses that were approached on Thursday (28 September) owed the power utility over R6 million in unpaid bills and had been found to be connected illegally. He added that City Power is losing millions of rands annually due to illegal connections within the business sector alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he also noted that the power supplier has seen positive results from the cut-off operation – with many individual and business customers approaching the utility to settle unpaid bills, while others have made arraignments to settle their debt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Municipal power utilities and Eskom have listed on several occasions that illegal connections are among the major challenges facing electricity supply, while nonpayments have also affected Eskom and municipalities’ ability to improve their balance sheets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The City\u2019s current debtor\u2019s book is sitting at close to R48 billion for rates and taxes, sewer, electricity, and water \u2013 which is unsustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n City Power’s operation started shortly after it won a court battle with the Hillbrow property, which started over a decade ago, over disputed electricity payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Johannesburg High Court has handed down a significant ruling empowering electricity distributors in South Africa, like municipalities, to refuse service to power thieves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe court has ruled that it cannot compel the City of Johannesburg (COJ) to continue to supply electricity to a massive residential block of flats in Hillbrow which had, for years, illegally connected itself to the grid,\u201d the metro said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis court should not compel the respondents [COJ, City Power] to sell electricity to someone who has effectively stolen it from them in the past,\u201d Judge Bashier Vally ruled<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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